Rain-drenched Chennai awaits start of Test
 

SA'ADI Thawfeeq reporting from India

CHENNAI, Friday - The scene that greeted the players, officials and spectators apart from the media men covering the first Test match between Sri Lanka and India at the M. Chiddambaram Stadium here today was a not a good sign at all with the skies overcast and the pitch and surrounding areas under cover.

Although there was no rain at that point it wasn't long before it started to come down steadily from around 10 a.m. and within an hour or so it was pouring in buckets supported by the sound of thunder and lightning as the skies became darker and painted a gloomy picture for the rest of the day. The situation did not improve.

It became so hopeless that the two umpires Daryl Harper and Mark Benson were left with no option but to call off play for the day at 11.30 a.m.

The ground resembled a swimming pool in the areas where it was not covered. Even though play was scheduled to commence tomorrow at 9 a.m., the chances of getting a start on time was remote considering the amount of water the ground had absorbed and the time it will take for it to dry to satisfy the umpires and the two captains that it was safe for play.

The much talked about cyclonic storm we were told was approaching Tamil Nadu and the rains was the first signs of it heading this way.

The meteorological department has been predicting the storm to hit Tamil Nadu for the past three days, but it was taking its own time in reaching here. This is not the first time play has been abandoned for the day without a ball bowled in an international cricket match played at Chennai.

It was in fact the fourth time in two years it has happened. The one-day international between Indian and New Zealand on October 23, 2003, the final day's play of the Test match between India and Australia on October 18, 2004 and the one-day international between India and South Africa on November 22, 2005 are the previous three instances of play being washed out without a ball bowled at Chennai.

One could only feel sorry for the spectators who had paid good money to watch their heroes in action. They know that when they purchased the ticket for the match there would be no refund if there is no play for the day. At least something should be done to appease them.

After all they are ones who bring in the income for the associations which undertake to host international matches apart from the television stations who rake in a lot of money.

Someone suggested at least one-third of the ticket cost was refunded it would keep them happy and stop people like M. Suresh Babu from filing a civil suit against the Tamil Nadu CA restraining them from selling tickets for the Indo-Lanka Test.

Babu's bone of contention is that it was not prudent on the part of the TNCA to organize cricket matches during the monsoonal period.

The bad weather also put on hold Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar from surpassing Sunil Gavaskar's world record for the most number of Test hundreds. He is currently level on 34 with the past master since December 2004 having equalled the record in the Test against Bangladesh.